About Me

Manu Sharma New Delhi / Gurgaon, India

Since mid 2006 I have grappled with climate change and what it means for us. As an activist and campaigner, I sought to learn and simultaneously, attempted to influence the issues surrounding it - in technology and policy advocacy. As a consultant, I studied markets and created portfolios in sustainability services and renewable energy investment.

After thousands of hours of research, tenacious activism, working up-close with NGOs as well as the industry, delivering about two dozen public talks, countless conferences, hundreds of online discussions, a few media appearances (including Reuters, News Television, and BBC radio), and continuous evolution of my own ideas about what ought to be done - I may have found some answers but the issue remains far from being addressed.

In the despair filled world of climate change the only place I've found real and lasting hope is in a beautiful vision inspired by "The Ringing Cedars of Russia" book series by Vladimir Megre. The books have triggered a transition movement in Russia and have profoundly influenced me. I am now working towards the vision.

Climate Revolution Initiative, an RTI campaign I founded and ran for a few years is now retired. I no longer deliver talks. I still consider myself an activist though and occasionally post on Green-India group started over nine years ago.

Older entries in this blog relate to my former occupation in user experience design; long time interest in business innovation, strategy, ethics; and venture creation.

Image on top of this bar is courtesy book covers of The Ringing Cedars series published under Croatian translation. (Source)

July 01, 2008

India's Climate Change Action Plan Summary

The Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has just unveiled the long-awaited National Action Plan on Climate Change. I've split the first 5 sections from the long document that summarise the policy and put it up on my server. You can download it here [10 pages, 2 MB].

The five sections contain: Overview, Principles, Approach, Way Forward: Eight National Missions and Implementation of Missions: Institutional Arrangements.

The complete policy including section #6: Technical Document, which is over 40 page long, is available on PMO website (a large 16 MB PDF with 52 pages).

I haven't studied it yet but my first impression is that although the initiatives listed are welcome, but...

without any firm commitment towards a target of emission reductions,

without setting up any time-frame to achieve those reductions and

without a commitment to phase out new energy generation from fossil fuels and their subsidies...

it is unlikely to make a significant short term or long-term impact into India's fast growing carbon emissions.

A longer, more detailed analysis including an official response from my organisation (CSM) will follow in coming days.

UPDATE 3-Jul: 'Climate Challenge India' coalition formed by CSM just released an interim assessment (PDF) I had the privilege to be one of the contributors to this report.

Saw your blogs.Looks like you are really active in this field.Do you think apart from the Indian Government's initiative, the recent G8 summit declaration is doing anything?I think it failed to provide any concrete steps.Anyone who knows a little about the perils of climate change can tell that measures like 50% reduction till 2050 shall not help.Whats your take on this?

I agree with you. 2050 targets are really meaningless. What they imply is that we have a lot of time. It says lets wait till 2020 before doing anything. I think that will be a recipe for disaster. I said this in my BBC interview too (part that didn't get on air) that we ought to start thinking in terms of annual targets.

This problem is way too scary and the challenge of reductions way too big to talk about 2050 targets. We ought to take this on a war scale now.

And if the government isn't going to do it, we're going to force them to do it. Watch this space.

hi, manuits interesting, for india's climate change action plan i would say that its also just a text document with comprehensive matters same as "national environment policy 2006", but not helpful in immidiate adoptation and mitigation measures